Jimmy Ellis amazed me when he got up from that 2nd knockdown in his fight with Joe Frazier in 1970. What a hellacious shot he took from Joe. Do you suppose hearing the bell ring when he was on the canvas jogged his instincts some kind of way? Angelo Dundee says he he could never figure out how Ellis got up. I remember in the post fight interview Ellis did not even know he had been down twice. Any thoughts?
Although Some are Boxers like Ellis, they still have a Fighters Instincts to get up and continue, Just look at Jimmy's Efforts to Rise After Nailed By Shavers, its like an electrical Current was passing Through Jimmy, in Fact his Brain was Short Circuited from that Shot.....But he tried to get up...A fighters Instinct.
I went to youtube and saw the Shavers-Ellis fight. You're right. Ellis in fact got up and either beat the 10 count or almost beat it, I'm not sure.
I was surprised he got up, too. Frazier really broke him down; even though he got up, he had nothing left. Ellis (like all of Frazier's opponents) got off to a good start, but couldn't sustain it.
Jimmy Ellis was a heck of a fighter. He was 6' 1" and he was a middleweight until he was about 25 years of age. He fought some real good middles . He turned lightheavy and finished up a heavyweight. He held wins over very highly regarded heavies. He was a long time friend and sparrring partner for Ali. He was a good boxer puncher with plenty of heart.
Anybody remember his total massacre of Johnny Persol on the Ali-Folley undercard at MSQ in 67? Until that fight, Persol was on a real hot streak.
